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Is playing old golf balls a bad idea?


Ryan M

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A family member bought a home along a golf course to remodel. When he cleaned out the yard, he pulled out 300 or 400 golf balls. I threw out the low grade balls and non-urethane cover. Then after cleaning, if they had significant scuffs I also discarded them. This left me with maybe 100 balls in the Pro V1(x), Chrome Soft, TP5(x)/Penta, etc. Some of these were probably only a year or 2 old, but many were 5+ years old. For instance, I found a few of the Pro V1 392 balls.

I usually shoot in the 80's. Am I a fool for playing these older balls? I hit a few of them yesterday on a course I play 50 times a year, and felt like I was losing distance on the driver. Maybe a little on irons too, but that was a bit harder to see and I could chalk some of that up to colder weather, damp conditions, and a little wind. However, I felt like I was losing 20 or 30 yards on drives.

Are these balls old enough that I should not be playing them? Or is this all in my head and I just had a bad one?

Driver: :callaway-small: Rogue ST 🔷🔷🔷 LS, 10.5* w/ Fujikura Ventus Black 6s
Woods: :taylormade-small: M2 Tour 3W HL/16.5* w/ Mitsubishi Kuro Kage Silver 70g
Hybrids: :PXG: 0317 X GEN4 3H/19* w/ Aldila NV Green Hybrid NXT 85g
Irons: :PXG: GEN5 0311P 4-A w/ ProjectX LZ
Wedges: :cleveland-small: RTX4 / :titelist-small: Vokey SM7 50*, :titelist-small: Vokey SM9 56* & 60*
Putter: :scotty-small: Studio Select Newport 1.5
Ball: :titelist-small: Pro V1x
Bag: Sun Mountain C130

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There was a test done recently with older Pro V1 balls compared to the new model. There was not a significant difference. So older models are ok to play. The thing to consider was the tests were new in the box comparisons. There wasn't a weather factor in the equation. Tests have also been done comparing refurbished balls and water balls and the results were not favorable. Since these are yard balls I would probably stick to the newer models to play with and use the rest for your shag bag. Fine for chipping around the yard.

My son is part of a golf course matenience crew. He sometimes is the rough mower. He brings home a dozen or two every week he is on the mower. I know the balls are only a few days old. I separate them and keep the high end urethane for play, the rest go in a bin and I give them away. 

:titleist-small: Driver, TSi 1 S Flex

:cobra-small: 3 wood, Aerojet Max UST Helium Nanocore R Flex

:cobra-small: 5 wood, Aerojet Max UST Helium Nanocore R Flex 

:cobra-small: 7 Wood, Aerojet Max UST Helium Nanocore R Flex 

:cobra-small: 5 Hybrid King Tec MMT R Flex

:cobra-small: Irons, Tour UST Recoil 95 R Flex (6 - Gap)

:cobra-small: Wedges, Snakebite KBS Hi- Rev2.0 54* & 60*

:cobra-small: Agera 35"

image.png Ultralight 14-way Cart Bag

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sounds like you answered your own question.   Some performance loss and depending on how serious you are an amazing about golf it may or may not matter. 

Driver:  :ping-small: G400 Max 9* w/ KBS Tour Driven
Fairway: :titelist-small: TS3 15*  w/Project X Hzardous Smoke
Hybrids:  :titelist-small: 915H 21* w/KBS Tour Graphite Hybrid Prototype
                :titelist-small: 915H  24*  w/KBS Tour Graphite Hybrid Prototype        
Irons:      :honma:TR20V 6-11 w/Vizard TR20-85 Graphite
Wedge:  :titleist-small: 54/12D, 60/8M w/:Accra iWedge 90 Graphite
Putter:   :taylormade-small:TM-180

Testing:   SPGC_logo.jpg

Backups:  :odyssey-small: Milled Collection RSX 2, :seemore-small: mFGP2, :cameron-small: Futura 5W

Member:  MGS Hitsquad since 2017697979773_DSCN2368(Custom).JPG.a1a25f5e430d9eebae93c5d652cbd4b9.JPG

 

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Callaway talked about this several years back. 3-5 years is about shelf life if kept at normal temps. Going to be a lot less if outside even for a short period of time 

Driver: PXG 0811 X+ Proto w/UST Helium 5F4

Wood: TaylorMade M5 5W w/Accra TZ5 +1/2”, TaylorMade Sim 3W w/Aldila rogue white

Hybrid: PXG Gen2 22* w/AD hybrid

Irons: PXG Gen3 0311T w/Nippon modus 120

Wedges: TaylorMade MG2 50*, Tiger grind 56/60

Putter: Scotty Caemeron Super Rat1

Ball: Titleist Prov1

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